#1 Defense against Authoritarianism? Circles of Community.
Those who lived in countries that were overtaken by authoritarian regimes shared their number one recommendation: Be connected to a group of people you know you can trust. This has always been humanity’s greatest strength as we evolved over the millennia facing huge survival challenges. Obviously, industrialization changed those realities. The natural world doesn’t pose as a great a risk to life as it once did. Today our greatest danger is other human beings, particular those dedicated to domination and control, and our greatest risks now will likely come in the effort to stand up to those in power.
If You Want to Go Far, Go Together
People have to come together to make change. The whole concept of building coalitions, of people working together, is more important now than ever. We will not be able to change our system unless we have a powerful vision and then take the risks necessary to bring that vision into reality. And taking risks is something we must do together. There is safety in numbers. The organization Choose Democracy reports that in Chile under a repressive regime, the “affinity group” model was a way to help keep people safe as they took risky actions. The process is simple enough: gather some people together who share your concerns and are ready to act together. Whether your actions are high-risk or low — you’ll benefit from the support.
Choose Democracy is an excellent organization that deserves praise for its years of ongoing preparation for the unfortunate outcome of rising authoritarianism in America and across the globe. They absolutely stress the necessity for working arm-in-arm to stand against this dangerous political development. In their presentation on What can I do to fight authoritarianism? they list “getting together with others to act” as the first step: When you’re alone it’s too easy to freeze. While keyboard warriors and protest attenders are important — you’ll feel the greatest strength if you gather with others semi regularly to plan together, share together, and act together.
How to Create an Effective Affinity Group
This article from Seeds for Change offers solid ideas for structuring your own community circle. Below is the linked table of contents. This guide is best for groups who feel ready to take action. I will also add that it is a great place to start for those who are exploring and want a good overview of how action-oriented affinity groups work, what challenges could arise, and how to care for one another when taking risks for the sake of activism.
- What are affinity groups?
- Why work in affinity groups?
- How to create an affinity group
- Taking action
- How to sustain the group
- Dealing with common issues
Whatever you do, find others to join you–or, find a great group that already exists and join their efforts. You will feel better for jumping into the fray, and you’ll feel even better that you are not alone.
